byfield



t e e h S m e e h S 3 D. L E I n Y B J a" d o M 0 m KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 354,502.- Patented Dec. 14, 1886.

IWM/AM y N. PETERS. mmmhagn hn, Wathing inn. D. c.

3 SheetsSheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. BYPIELD.

KNITTING MACHINE. Patented D c. 14, 1886.v

l I l b [I L IIIIIIIIIIIIIHIH A JV A 2 Witnesses: i A Inventor:

V @ToMByfiehL,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN BYFIELD, or LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE BYFIELDMANUFACTURING COMPANY, or SAME PLACE.

MACHINE.

.EPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 35 1502, datedDecember 14, 1886.

(No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN BYFIELD, of Lowell, in the county of Middlesexand State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Knitting-Machines, of which the following, taken inconnect-ion with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of cireular knitting machines inwhich barbed or spring needles are used, and in which two or more yarnsof different colors are or maybe used for knitting striped goods; and itis an improvement upon the inventions described in the Letters PatentNos. 311,172 and 311,173, granted to me January 27, 1885; and itconsists in certain novel constructions, arrange ments, and combinationsof parts, which will be readily understood by reference to thedescription of the drawings, and to the claims, to be hereinafter given.

Of the drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan of a machine embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 represents a rear elevation of the same with theneedle-head, the slar-boxes, and the cuttingofi mechanismremoved. Fig. 3represents an elevation of the rods for operating the yarn-guides and aportion of the stand in which they are mounted, looking toward therighthand end of Fig. 1. Fig. represents a side elevation ofa portion ofone of the yarnguideoperating rods and the tension device with which theupper end of each of these rods is provided, viewed from a directionoblique to Fig. 3, and showing the bar a and rod u in section. Fig. 5represents an elevation of the same, looking at right angles to Fig. 4.Fig. 6 represents an elevation of a portion of the same, looking at theside opposite to that shown in Fig. 4, and showing the bar a and rod uin section. Fig. 7 represents a sectional elevation through a portion ofthe needle-head and the pattern-cylinder and its at tendant mechanism,looking toward the lefthand end of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 represents a plan ofthe outer end of the lever for operating the pawl-carrying bar. Fig. 9represents an inverted plan of the machine with the cross-bar whichsupports the lower end of the spindle about which the needleheadrevolves, and the spindle itself out in section. Figs. 10 and 11represent, respectively, an elevation and a partial sectional elevationof the device for iru-. parting to the pattern-cylinder a step-by-stepmovement about its axis, and showing the lever by which saidstep-by-step movement is interrupted. Figs. 12, 13, and 14. represent,respectively, a front elevation, a central longitudinal section and aside elevation of the front portion of the thread severing and holdingmechanism and its stand, and show the guides for insuring the properplacing of the yarn. Figs. 15, 16, 17, and 18 represent de tails of theguides for insuring the proper placing of the yarn, which will behereinafter 6 5 referred to.

In the drawings, A is the bed of the machine, provided on its under sidewith the crossbar -A, in which is firmly secured, in a fixed position,the stud A about which the needle-head B revolves, and to the upper endof this stud is secured the disk A upon which are mounted thelanding-wheel G and the knockingover wheel I), all in a well-knownmanner.

The stitch-wheel E, the dividing-wheel F, and the"presser-wheel G areall arranged around the outside of the circular series of needles a, andare adapted to cooperate there with in the usual manner, while thepushback H is of ordinary construction and adjustably mounted upon thepost H in any suitable manner.

To the rear of the machine are secured the stands I I in suitablehearings, in which the bars a, a, a, and a are adapted to bereciprocated, each of said bars a a a a being provided with a cam, b, b,If, or 71 which, when either of the bars a, a, a or a is moved towardthe right-hand end of the machine, which is represented by theright-hand side of Fig. 1, will raise one of the vertical rods 0 c 0" 0mounted in bearings in the shelves of the stand J. Another bar, d, ismounted in the same manner, and has its right-hand end bent back- 5 wardand at right angles to itself in such a manner that itwill be movedtoward the righthand end of Fig. 1, whenever one of the bars a a a a ismoved in that direction, by the end of said bar a, a, a", or a coming incontact with and acting upon said right-angle portion of said bar d, andthat either of the bars a a a a which has been moved to the right, shallbe moved to the left again by the movement of the bar (I in thatdirection by the right-angle portion of said bar d coming in contactwith the end of said bar a, a, a, or a To the stand J are pivoted theyarn-guiding levers e e e 6 operated by the rods 0 c 0 0 respectively,and by which the yarns may be thrown into or out of action with theneedles. The rods 0 c c c are raised by the cams b b I) b and held in anelevated position by the latch f, and said latch f is disengaged fromthe notches in said rods to allow them to regain their normal positions,all in exactly the same manner as has been fully described in thebefore-mentioned Letters Patent, and therefore need no furtherdescription here.

K is the mechanism for severing the yarns which are thrown out of actionwith the needles and holding the ends of the same until again required,said mechanism. being operated by the cam d, forming part of andreciprocating with the bar d.

Beneath the bars a a a a is placed a flat bar, L, provided at or nearthe middle of its length with arectangular opening through the same andmounted in hearings in the stands I I, in which said bar is adapted tobe reciprocated by the lever L, pivoted at L to the under side of thebed of the machine, the inner end thereof being provided with a suitablepin, 9, which projects into and is operated upon by the path 9 of thecam M, secured to the hub of the head and adapted to be revolvedtherewith. The outer end of this lever L is forked, so as to embrace thefiat-sided sleeve h, mounted loosely upon the lower end of thedownwardly-projecting arm h, the upper end of which is firmly secured tothe bar L, so that a reciprocating movement is given to said bar by therevolution of the cam M in an obvious manner.

Upon the rear side of the bed is secured by two feet the bracket N, towhich is firmly secured the stud i,upon which is loosely mounted thecylinder or wheel 0, the inner edge of which is provided with aseriesof'ratchet- "teeth, la It, with which the pin Z engages to impartthereto a step-by-step movement, said pin Z being mountedin bearings inthe lower end of the vertical rod Z, the upper end of which is providedwith an adjustable screw, Z by which said rod Z may be shortened orlengthened to regulate the amount of movement to be given thereto. Thisrod Z is moved downwardly in its bearings in the stand N by the actionof the cam-arm m,firm1y secured to the bar L, so that with everyreciprocation of the bar L the cylinder 0 is moved about its axis adistance equal to the length of one of its teeth, there being enoughfriction upon said cylinder to preventits moving backward when the rod Zis moved upward by the tension of the spring Z The pin Zis made toengage with the teeth k k, and at the same time is capable of movingbackward over said teeth by the action of the spiral spring Z which,actingupon a shoulder formed upon said pin, serves to force said pinoutwardly and retain it in such outward position, except when, by thetension of the spring Z said pin is being raised over one of the teeth kis preparatory to giving another forward movement to the cylinder 0.

The small pin a, secured to the pin Z, and working in the slot it,prevents the latter pin from being forced out of its bearings by thetension of the spring 1*, and also prevents said pin Z being turnedabout its axis, all as shown in Fig. 11.

The face of the cylinder 0 is provided with as many circumferential rowsof holes 0 0 as there are cambars a a a a the holes in each row beingthe same distance apart as the teeth k k, and are threaded, so as toreceive the screw pattern-pins p p, constructed and applied in the samemanner as similar pins are applied to the pattern-chain described in theformer of the before-mentioned patents.

The bracket N has formed thereon an additional arm, N, which projectsover the cylinder 0 and provides bearings for the pins q g g (f, presseddownwardly by suitable springs,

q, and which are raised againstthe tension of these springs by thepattern-pins p 2, inserted in the cylinder 0, as said cylinder rotatesbeneath them. Immediately above the pins q g g g are the pawls r r 1* rpivoted to the bar L upon the fixed pin s, and adapted to bereciprocated with said bar beneath the cambars act ata without engagingwith the notches a in the under sides of said bars,unless one of thepins q g g (f has been raised by the action of the pattern-pins, and oneof the pawls r r r T has been raised so as to engageits point in thenotch a of the canrbar above it, in which case,with the next movement ofthe bar L toward the right-hand end of the machine, (which isrepresented by the right-hand side of Fig. 1,) said cain-bar will becarried therewith and operate the yarn-guide, with which it is connectedin substantially the same manner as described in my former LettersPatent, hereinbefore mentioned.

The pawls 1 Hr r are each provided at their rear ends with open slots r,by which they are readily attached to or removed from the fixedpivot-pin s, and each one is prevented from dropping below a horizontalposition by its rear end abutting against the front edge of the slot inwhich it is pivoted, while the point of IIO each of said pawls isprevented from engaging with the notch a of the cam-bars by means of thespring r until said pawl is acted upon by the pin q, q, 19 or g toovercome the tension of said spring.

To the bracket N is pivoted at t the lever P in such a manner thatenough friction is created at said fulcrum to hold said lever in anyposition it may be placed by the operator. This lever P is provided witha downwardlyprojecting arm, P, which, as said lever is moved downwardabout its fulcrum i, will be interposed between the pin Z and the teethInk of the pattern-cylinder O, and prevent motion being imparted to saidcylinder as said pin 1 is moved up and down by the action of thecam-wedge m upon the vertical spindle Z. By this means of throwing thepattern-cylinder out of action I am enabled to knit astocking, shirt,850., with a pattern of considerable length with a pattern-cylinder thecircumference of which is exceedingly small, for while with pattern-pinsplaced upon the cylinder in a position such that by a continuousknitting and a movement being given to said cylinder with everyrevolution of the needle-head but a single course of a certain colorwould be knitted. Bythrowing thepatterneylinderout of action by thisdevice during the knitting of that course a stripe of that color maybeknit, the width of which may be determined by the operator, for it isobvious that the machine will continue to knit with that color until theoperator again throws into action the patterncylinder when at thecompletion of the course and the second pattern-pin comes into con tactwith one of the vertical pins q, q, q, or f, at which time that yarnwill be thrown out of action and another of a different color thrown in,as described in the Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to.

The upper ends of the vertical rods 0, c, 0 and c are each provided withtwo uprights parallel to each other, and: between which is pivoted at ea lever, 0 while another lever, c, is pivoted at the same point 0 uponthe rear side of the rear upright. These uprights may he provided withsuitable yarn-holes, similar to those with which the levers c c areprovided,and at the same distance from the pivot 0, so that all theseholes will be in a line when the levers c c are in a vertical position;or they may be used without these yarn-holes with the same result, aswill be more fully described.

The yarn in passing from the bobbin to the yarn-guiding lever may passthrough the hole in the lever 0, through the hole in the rear upright,through the hole in the lever 0 and then through the hole in the frontupright to the yarn-guiding lever; or it may pass, if desired, throughthe hole in the lever 0, around the left-hand edge of the rear upright,through thehole in the lever 0 and then either through I a hole in thefront upright, or around the lefthand edge thereof, with substantiallythe same results, care being taken, however, in either case to insurethat the yarn may pass freely in a straight line from the bobbin to theyarnering and holding device. When it is desired that the slack in theyarn should be taken up by the lever 0 the lever c is moved slightly outof a perpendicular position, so that the yarn which passes through ahole in its end will be nipped between it and the upright to which it ispivoted, whether the yarn passes through a hole in said upright oraround its edge, and thus prevent any slack in the yarn between thispoint and thebobbin from interfering with the tension on the yarnbetween this point and the yarn-holding device. This lever c is retainedin its normal positionz'. 6., slightly out of perpendicularby thehorizontal bar a, which acts upon all of said levers b when the inclinedportion 0 of the lever 0 will come into contact with the bar it, and thesaid lever will be forced into a vertical position, while at the sametime the lever 0 will come into contact with the horizontal portion ofthe inverted-U-shaped rod to, and will also be forced into a verticalposition, so that the yarn may pass freely to the yarnguiding levers.

The vertical arms of the U-shaped red at are mounted in suitablehearings in the shelves of the stand J, and one arm, a thereofis forcedinto contact with a cam-wedge, 14 by the coiled spring 10*, saidcam-wedge a being secured to and reciprocating with the bar (1. Thiscamwedge 16 is some little distance ahead of the cam-wedges b b b If,and is inclined in the opposite direction thereto, the longest arm, a,of the rod to resting upon its upper surface when the rods 0 c c a" arein their normal positions.

\Vhen either of the cam-bars a a a a is moved toward the right-hand endof the machine, it will move with it the bar (Z and its cam-wedge a, andin so doing will allow the rod to to slowly drop and the tension uponthe yarn to be relievedbefore the cam upon the bar a, a, a or a beginsto lift the rod 0, c, c,- or c to change the yarns. Upon the return ofthe bar (2 andthe wedge u the U-shaped rod a will be again lifted andthe tension thrown onto those yarns not in action. By means of thesedevices and the cam-wedge u the tension is thrown off of all of theyarns previous to the changing of the yarn, and is kept off asufficiently long time to allow of the knitting into the fabric ofenough of the yarn just thrown out of action to make with the new yarn afirm joining, which is always necessary in making striped goods, andafter the joining has been completed, the yarn severed, and its endgrasped by the yarn-holding device the tension is again thrown onto allthe yarns not in action, all slack therein being thus taken up, so thatthe yarns are prevented from accidentally becoming engaged with theneedles in an obvious manner.

To the inner end of the stand upon which is mounted the yarn-severingmechanism K is secured the bracket K, the inner edge of which is quitethin and curved to conform to the arc of the needles of the head of themachine, said bracket being provided with a long tapered orfunnel-shaped passage, '0, through which the yarn which is being knit isguided to the stitchwheel E and the needles.

To the upper surface of the bracket K is secured a thin guide-plate, 1),which has that end which is nearest the yarn-guiding levers bentupwardly, while the portion which is se cured to the upper surface ofthe bracket K gradually curves downwardly to a point below the beards ofthe needles, while itsedge is arranged to press lightly against theneedles. To the under side of the stationary cutterblade 16 is securedanother guide, a having a portion thereof extending downwardly inside ofand in close proximity to the circle of the needles, the end ofwhich isbent over the tops of the needles and above the guideplate o. The underedge of this downwardly-projecting portion is provided with a curvesimilar to the curve of the under surface of the plate v,as shown inFig. 12. This guide 11 is a substitute for and serves the same purposeas the wire-guide 12", described in Letters Patent No. 311,173,hereinbefore mentioned.

WVhile the yarn is in action it is guided to the stitch-wheelEbythebeforemcntioned funnelshaped passage c,- but as soon as theyarn-guiding lever is raised,so as to throw the yarn out of action, saidyarn is carried across the circle of the needles at the bent corner ofthe guide 12, and is drawn between two needles, and is carried by saidneedles down the incline of the two guides 12 11 till it reaches theslitch-wheel, and forms a perfect stitch with the last one formed, andis severed by the cutting-off mechanism, and the severed end is seizedby the holding device in the usual manner, while simultaneously withthis operation the yarn which is now thrown into action will pass acrossand between the ncedles,and be carried thereby against the curved edgeof the plate 12 and the curved under side of the plate 12, so that itwill be forced in the same manner below the beards of the needles, andbe carried to the stitchwheel, by which it will be seized and knitintothe fabric, the yarn being released from the yarn-holding device at thesame time. Either of these guides 12 '0 could be used separately withadvantage, but to make the work positive necessitates the use of bothtogether, as has been described. 1

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States, is

1. The combination, with a series of needles arranged in a circle, astitch-forming mechanism co-operating therewith, a plurality ofvibrating yarn-guiding levers, a' plurality of verticallyreciprocatingrods connected to said yarn-guiding levers, a plurality of cam-bars foroperating said vertical rods, and a pattern mechanism for controllingthe movements of said cam-bars, of a yarn-tension device attached toeach of said vertically-rcciprocating rods, consisting of two uprightrods or bars, a

pivoted tension-lever provided with a yarnreceiving eye, anda spring forthrowing said tension-lever from a perpendicular position to deflect theyarn from a direct line, and a horizontalv bar for moving saidtension-lever into a perpendicular position when theverticallyreciprocating rod carrying it-is moved upward by a cam-bar,substantially as described.

2. The combination, with a series of needles arranged in a circle, astitch-forming mechanism co-operating therewith, a plurality ofvibrating yarn-guiding levers, a plurality of vertically-reciprocatingrods connected to said yarn-guiding levers, a plurality of cam-bars foroperating said vertical rods, and a pattern mechanism for controllingthe movements of said cam-bars, of a. yarn-tension device attached tothe upper end of each of said vertically-reciprocatingrods,consisting'of two vertical rods or bars, two pivoted levers, eachprovided with a yarn-receiving eye, a spring for throwing one of saidpivoted levers out of a perpendicular position to deflect the yarn froma direct line, the other of said levers be ing constructed and arrangedto clamp the yarn between it and one of the uprights, and the bars a anda, substantially as described.

3. In combination with the bed of the machine, the stand N, providedwith the stud Z,

and the arm N, the pattern cylinder or drum O, mounted on said stud andprovided with a plurality of circumferential rows of removable pins,mechanism, as set forth, for operating said drum, a plurality ofvertically-movable pins mounted in the ar'nrN of the stand N, thereciprocating bar L, carrying the fixed fulcrum-pin s, and provided withthe arm h, a plurality of pawls, r, r, a, or 1, each provided with theopen slot 0", to engage the fulcrunr.

pin 8, a plurality of springs, r, engaging with said pawls, the lever L,the cam M, and a plurality of cam-bars, a, a, a, and a all constructedand arranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The combination of the pattern cylinder or drum 0, provided withradial teeth in the edge of its rim, with the spring-supported rod Z,the spring-pressed pawl or latch-bolt Z, mounted in hearings in thelowerend of said rod Z, the bar L, provided with the wedge m and thedownwardly-projecting arm h, the lever L, and the cam M, all constructedand arranged to operate substantially as described 5. The combination ofthe pattern cylinder or drum 0, provided with radial teeth in the edgeof its rim, with the spring-supported rod Z, the spring-pressed pawl orlatch-bolt Z, mounted in hearings in the rod Z, the bar L, provided withthe arm h, the wedge m, the lever L, the cam M, and the lever P,constructed and arranged to be interposed between the pawl Z and theteeth of the cylinder 0 to arrest the operation of said cylinder,substantially as described.

6. The combination of a series of barbed or Spring needles arranged in acircle, the guideplate 12, located outside of the circle of needles IOOand in close proximity thereto, and the plate 72 located oppositethereto within the circle of needles, substantially as described.

7. The combination of aseries of needles arranged in a circle, thebracket K, provided with the funnel-shaped passage 12, and havingsecured thereto the guide-plate 1), located outside of and in closeproximity to the circle of needles, and the guide-plate 1;, locatedopposite thereto within the circle of needles, all substantially asdescribed.

8. The combination, with a series of needles arranged in a circle, of astitch-forming mechanism co-operating therewith, a plurality ofvibrating yarn-guiding levers, a plurality of vertically-reciprocatingrods connected to said yarn-guiding levers, a plurality of cam-bars foroperating said vertical rods, a pattern mechanism for controlling themovements of said cam-bars, a yarn-tension device attached to each ofsaid vertically-reciprocating rods, consisting of two upright rods orbars, and a pivoted tension-lever provided with a yarnreceiving eye, anda spring for throwing said tension-lever from a perpendicular positionto deflect the yarn from a direct line, a bent rod, the horizontalportion of which is adapted to operate said levers to bring them into avertical position, a spring for forcing said bent rod downwardly, a camwedge for raising said bent rod, and mechanism for reciprocating saidwedge, all substantially as and for the purposes described.

9. The combination, with a needle-head of a circular-knitting machine,of the guide-plate 1), located in a fixed position outside the circle ofneedles and in close proximity thereto, substantially as and for thepurposes described.

In testimony whereof Ihave signed my name to this specification,in thepresence of two subscribing witnesscs, on this 17th day of Decemher, A.D. 1885.

J OHN BYFIELD. Vitnesses:

WALTER E. LOMBARD, N. O. LOMBARD.

